Meet Kimberly Martin new Wilson Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amateur hour- day 1

ED: How do you plan to raise graduation rates and close the achievement gap?

KM: I have learned from 12 years being a principal that I can’t make those changes by myself. So before I could say, ‘what we need to do is…’, I need to talk to enough staff, get to know parents, and know what people’s expectations are – what’s their vision, what do they want. Then we’ll know what kind of strategies and what kind of interventions we can implement.

####

Seem pretty reasonable to me.

Translation: I have no plan. Like everything else, I'll figure it out once I get there and have 300 other things to worry about. But don't worry, I'll have lots of meetings with lots of people to help figure it all out. Later. Once I'm there. And in it.

The worst thing she could do would be to start changing things without first finding out what works and what doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amateur hour- day 1

ED: How do you plan to raise graduation rates and close the achievement gap?

KM: I have learned from 12 years being a principal that I can’t make those changes by myself. So before I could say, ‘what we need to do is…’, I need to talk to enough staff, get to know parents, and know what people’s expectations are – what’s their vision, what do they want. Then we’ll know what kind of strategies and what kind of interventions we can implement.

####

Seem pretty reasonable to me.

Translation: I have no plan. Like everything else, I'll figure it out once I get there and have 300 other things to worry about. But don't worry, I'll have lots of meetings with lots of people to help figure it all out. Later. Once I'm there. And in it.

The worst thing she could do would be to start changing things without first finding out what works and what doesn't.

The worst thing she could do is claim to be committed to urban Ed--but show up without a plan, program that worked in the past or hell just a few dumb ideas that MIGHT work. After 10+ years in leadership and a comittment to urban Ed, I'd expect more.

Taking a collaborative approach does not preclude having a few best practices or ideas for pilots up your sleeves.

The more I think about it, the less sense her appointment makes. Like is this a "who you know" situation?

Did the panel make this recommendation or were they overruled?

I'd reeaaaaallly like to know.

[Anonymous]

She was being interviewed by a teenager over the phone. She was cordial and open without going too much in her personal life. You people are vultures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She was being interviewed by a teenager over the phone. She was cordial and open without going too much in her personal life. You people are vultures.

Vultures?

I'll give her points for entertaining a high schooler in that way.

I'll even soften my opinion in light of the fact that she was talking to a get. This is no WaPo stuff where I'd expect her to be at the height of profession malign and use a bunch of jargon that will go over a kid's head.

But I still find it 'interesting' that she doesn't know where her son will go to school or the outer workings of the system.

And I'm still interested in whether this was a panel choice or overrule.

But vultures???? You're going a bit far.

[Anonymous]

Is this who the panel voted for or no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tried hard not to weigh in here and just give the woman a chance, but since I started (^^^ re: her having an AA teen son...)....

I also found her to be a bit...uh...let's just say I'm surprised she didn't do ALL of her due diligence by knowing exactly what she's getting herself into. She should know DCPS inside out as there's way too much info out there. She should know what the 8 wards are, which are safe, dangerous, more affluent, how the lottery works, inbound/outbound, where her son will go to school for starters.

BUT she'll have this summer to figure it out.

It seems that the rumor was true after that DCPS wanted a diverse principal at Wilson.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tried hard not to weigh in here and just give the woman a chance, but since I started (^^^ re: her having an AA teen son...)....

I also found her to be a bit...uh...let's just say I'm surprised she didn't do ALL of her due diligence by knowing exactly what she's getting herself into. She should know DCPS inside out as there's way too much info out there. She should know what the 8 wards are, which are safe, dangerous, more affluent, how the lottery works, inbound/outbound, where her son will go to school for starters.

BUT she'll have this summer to figure it out.

It seems that the rumor was true after that DCPS wanted a diverse principal at Wilson.

This announcement in no way proves that rumor. To prove the rumor, you would have to demonstrate that Ms. Martin was hired because she is a minority. The fact that she is a minority does not prove that is the reason for her hiring. This is exactly what I said about that rumor earlier -- it was very unfair, particularly due to its dubious provenance, because it puts minority candidates in an unfair position.

[Anonymous]

I'm certain she wasn't the only "diverse" candidate. It's Chocolate City--and a hub for hip, smart people of other ethnicities as well. I'm sure they had a ton to choose from if that was their main concern. This is what makes her all the more puzzling

[Anonymous]

I think the more realistic explanation for her hire is: the best talent goes where it will be treated best. Given the poor recent treatment of Cahall and others, and consistent overall mis-management of the entire place, DCPS may not be the most attractive place to work these days. Who the hell at mid-career goes out of their way to work at DCPS unless they're being hired for one of the top, ridiculous-salary jobs? I'd much rather teach in MoCo or Fairfax, for example, where my work product will look good and I can rely on the system not to goof it all up. So, you get what you get. Unfinished phd from Cleveland State. Good Luck, guys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm certain she wasn't the only "diverse" candidate. It's Chocolate City--and a hub for hip, smart people of other ethnicities as well. I'm sure they had a ton to choose from if that was their main concern. This is what makes her all the more puzzling

Chocolate City was the Barry era, and melted away some time ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I’m not sure how the District thing works."

Really? This is from the new principal of the largest and most successful High School in the city? Oh my.

Really? She explained that she didn't know if her kid could go to the school where she works or if he'd be required to go to the school near their home. You people who take issue with that are a bunch of assholes.

I took personal issue with that. As a parent, that would be one of the first things I'd know--particularly as the parent of an AA make teen moving into a dangerous inner city (from Aspen no less!). In fact I'd try to negotiate his attendance at Wilson as part of my contract. What if he's inbound for Anacostia or Ballou??!! Rhee certainly knew where she was sending her kids before she got here.

This is the most ridiculous comment yet. Personal issue? She interviewed for a job, accepted an offer and, like most people who transfer to another city for a job, is still working out details of her family life. But you take personal issue with that?

And what part of this sophomoric interview led you to believe she's moving into the "dangerous inner city"??? Was it the confession that she likes to eat BBQ? I ask you this as the parent of a black male, and at the risk of your "personal issue" with the inquiry.

Seriously. Assholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I’m not sure how the District thing works."

Really? This is from the new principal of the largest and most successful High School in the city? Oh my.

Really? She explained that she didn't know if her kid could go to the school where she works or if he'd be required to go to the school near their home. You people who take issue with that are a bunch of assholes.

I took personal issue with that. As a parent, that would be one of the first things I'd know--particularly as the parent of an AA make teen moving into a dangerous inner city (from Aspen no less!). In fact I'd try to negotiate his attendance at Wilson as part of my contract. What if he's inbound for Anacostia or Ballou??!! Rhee certainly knew where she was sending her kids before she got here.

This is the most ridiculous comment yet. Personal issue? She interviewed for a job, accepted an offer and, like most people who transfer to another city for a job, is still working out details of her family life. But you take personal issue with that?

And what part of this sophomoric interview led you to believe she's moving into the "dangerous inner city"??? Was it the confession that she likes to eat BBQ? I ask you this as the parent of a black male, and at the risk of your "personal issue" with the inquiry.

Seriously. Assholes.

I'm going to assume you are serious and respond in kind.

As the mother of an AA male, I (and several educated mothers I know) moved AWAY from the inner city to raise our children in safe environments. Moving INTO an innercity with a teen male would give me great pause-professional opportunities be damned. BUT if I were to accept an offer in a dangerous innercity, you'd best believe I wouldn't be playing guessing games with my child's education, living arrangements or knowing what the hell we were getting into. This is a 15 year old-not a 5 year old who'd be sheltered 24/7. Will this kid have to take the metro to school? City bus? When I DID relocate to the suburbs, the FIRST thing I knew was where my child would go to school and the school's reputation. And I did that BEFORE seeking employment in that town. Are you kidding me??? That info is toooo easy to find online.

What part of that sophomoric interview led me to believe she was moving into a dangerous innercity? The part where she said they're definitely going to live in DC. I'm beginning to wonder if you're Kimberly Martin. Who else would be so clueless about the danger that exists in the nation's Capitol???

Furthermore, people who want to be taken seriously professionally should never come across as sophomoric in interviews. Even when interviewed by elementary school children, I've seen our Greats appear to be polished adults who give intelligent yet age appropriate responses to little ones.

PS: The greatest issue is that she lacks basic knowledge about the system and community she's being asked to lead.

And believe it or not, I'm still being reserved in my comments. I haven't unleashed "how I really feel" out of respect for the fact that the woman hasn't had a chance to show up and 'prove herself'. I'm really trying to be fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the more realistic explanation for her hire is: the best talent goes where it will be treated best. Given the poor recent treatment of Cahall and others, and consistent overall mis-management of the entire place, DCPS may not be the most attractive place to work these days. Who the hell at mid-career goes out of their way to work at DCPS unless they're being hired for one of the top, ridiculous-salary jobs? I'd much rather teach in MoCo or Fairfax, for example, where my work product will look good and I can rely on the system not to goof it all up. So, you get what you get. Unfinished phd from Cleveland State. Good Luck, guys.

You do have a great point.

But I can't help but think there were some more impressive candidates. Someone with a proven record of success in turning a school around. Someone with solid ideas about how to close the achievement gap or improve the graduation rate. Someone who understands the system. Someone from within?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the more realistic explanation for her hire is: the best talent goes where it will be treated best. Given the poor recent treatment of Cahall and others, and consistent overall mis-management of the entire place, DCPS may not be the most attractive place to work these days. Who the hell at mid-career goes out of their way to work at DCPS unless they're being hired for one of the top, ridiculous-salary jobs? I'd much rather teach in MoCo or Fairfax, for example, where my work product will look good and I can rely on the system not to goof it all up. So, you get what you get. Unfinished phd from Cleveland State. Good Luck, guys.

You do have a great point.

But I can't help but think there were some more impressive candidates. Someone with a proven record of success in turning a school around. Someone with solid ideas about how to close the achievement gap or improve the graduation rate. Someone who understands the system. Someone from within?

Yeah, but Cahall was already canned. I doubt he submitted his name to be re-hired at the time he was applying for his (evenually) new MoCo job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I’m not sure how the District thing works."

Really? This is from the new principal of the largest and most successful High School in the city? Oh my.

Really? She explained that she didn't know if her kid could go to the school where she works or if he'd be required to go to the school near their home. You people who take issue with that are a bunch of assholes.

I took personal issue with that. As a parent, that would be one of the first things I'd know--particularly as the parent of an AA make teen moving into a dangerous inner city (from Aspen no less!). In fact I'd try to negotiate his attendance at Wilson as part of my contract. What if he's inbound for Anacostia or Ballou??!! Rhee certainly knew where she was sending her kids before she got here.

This is the most ridiculous comment yet. Personal issue? She interviewed for a job, accepted an offer and, like most people who transfer to another city for a job, is still working out details of her family life. But you take personal issue with that?

And what part of this sophomoric interview led you to believe she's moving into the "dangerous inner city"??? Was it the confession that she likes to eat BBQ? I ask you this as the parent of a black male, and at the risk of your "personal issue" with the inquiry.

Seriously. Assholes.

I'm going to assume you are serious and respond in kind.

As the mother of an AA male, I (and several educated mothers I know) moved AWAY from the inner city to raise our children in safe environments. Moving INTO an innercity with a teen male would give me great pause-professional opportunities be damned. BUT if I were to accept an offer in a dangerous innercity, you'd best believe I wouldn't be playing guessing games with my child's education, living arrangements or knowing what the hell we were getting into. This is a 15 year old-not a 5 year old who'd be sheltered 24/7. Will this kid have to take the metro to school? City bus? When I DID relocate to the suburbs, the FIRST thing I knew was where my child would go to school and the school's reputation. And I did that BEFORE seeking employment in that town. Are you kidding me??? That info is toooo easy to find online.

What part of that sophomoric interview led me to believe she was moving into a dangerous innercity? The part where she said they're definitely going to live in DC. I'm beginning to wonder if you're Kimberly Martin. Who else would be so clueless about the danger that exists in the nation's Capitol???

Furthermore, people who want to be taken seriously professionally should never come across as sophomoric in interviews. Even when interviewed by elementary school children, I've seen our Greats appear to be polished adults who give intelligent yet age appropriate responses to little ones.

PS: The greatest issue is that she lacks basic knowledge about the system and community she's being asked to lead.

And believe it or not, I'm still being reserved in my comments. I haven't unleashed "how I really feel" out of respect for the fact that the woman hasn't had a chance to show up and 'prove herself'. I'm really trying to be fair.

I don't think you're trying to be fair. I think you saw a black woman, knew she'd be hyper-critiqued, thought she had little chance of survival and threw your "expertise" as an AA mother into the pit to hasten the kill.

If you've moved away from the dangerous innercity, why would you care enough to read and comment about DCPS? And how, pray tell, do you know where this woman is going to be living?

To answer your speculation about my seriousness, I'm quite. I frequently feel insulted by comments on DCUM, but yours were particularly egregious, with the BS about "dangerous inner city." As if, because she's black and chooses to live in DC, she can only be living in a dangerous part of the city. And as if all the "smart" black people have moved to the suburbs, so she must be an idiot for not sussing this out.

So lame and myopic of you to think only Kimberly Martin would find your comments infuriatingly ignorant. For the record, I've lived in this city more than 25 years. One thing I've learned is that it's impossible to know all the nuances of this city without living here through several different eras. In all that time, I've known no one who describes it as "dangerous inner city".